This week a number of folk subscribed to rootandbranches.org

One was a young Muslim woman from Egypt, who writes thoughts and quotations that inspire and motivate. (https://www.lifehayat.com).

I have written back to her to find out how we might share a mutual connection.

Another was from a doctor who offers a self-help website, no doubt inspired by issues he comes across in his practice. (https://drericperry.wordpress.com).
His site is well-worth exploring, if only to see how he goes about sharing his knowledge in an engaging way.

Both sites share our own hope here at rootandbranches, offering resources that inspire, motivate, uplift, and get us thinking.

Why do I blog?

My first experience of blogging was about ten years ago. The University had funded me to travel to Europe to attend a number of conferences. I needed an easy way to document my travels and provide a report to the University when I returned. So I thought I might try this new-fangled internet thing called a Blog. So began ‘Travelling Chaplain’.

The ‘travelling chaplain’ blog continued on from those travels. It turned out to be a great way to openly document my thinking and subsequent actions, as Chapliancy at Flinders University travelled along, adapting to changes demanded by emergent pluralism. It also provided a great way of collecting, in one place, useful resources that might be helpful to others.

When COVID first hit, I began to notice the rise of mental anguish in the wider community, particularly during lockdowns and border closures. What hope and encouragement might I usefully offer others, given the forced social isolation? So, ‘The World Service’ was born, supported by Pilgrim Uniting Church, in Adelaide, South Australia. Then, with the help of Steve Parker, who began to contribute film reviews, we conceived and launched rootandbranches.org.

But why do I continue to blog?

• I blog because I want to be transparent as I contribute to creating a better society. 
• I blog because COVID has crippled our ability to gather socially, and taken away former opportunities where stimulating, innovative thought could be publicly aired, reflected upon, challenged or channelled into needed change.
• I blog because without open communal communication we are at the mercy of hierarchies who make decisions for us without our participation in the process. 
• I blog to connect, inspire, uplift and encourage, taking us deeper into life.

But what else might you expect of a former teacher and chaplain in Higher Education, who doesn’t believe in retirement?